On the evening of August 8, in Dongjak District, Seoul, an elderly couple was trapped in the semi-basement of their building. A 64-year-old Chinese man removed the security window with his bare hands and rescued the couple. He was called a "civilian hero" by Korean media. 

Torrential rain starting on August 8 has lashed parts of South Korea, with more than 40 new disaster reports being received across the country. As of August 14, the torrential rain has caused 14 deaths, left six missing, and 26 injured, according to statistics by the country's Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.